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Taiwanese mahjong tai scoring: the complete table

Reviewed by Jayesh, Admin · Last updated 27 October 2026

In Taiwanese 16-tile mahjong, a winning hand is valued in tai (台). Each scoring pattern in the hand adds tai, and you add them up. This page lists every pattern that Mahjong Dubai scores under its Classic Taiwanese rules, with the value the game uses, and then works through four example hands.

How tai work

• A hand is scored when someone wins. Look at the finished hand and add up every pattern it shows.
• A pattern is a shape or a situation. Shapes are things like a pong of dragons (1 tai) or a hand made only of pongs (4 tai). Situations are things like winning with a tile you drew yourself (1 tai).
• Some values stand on their own. A concealed hand won by self-pick is worth 3 tai. That is its own value, not "self-pick" plus "concealed hand" added together.
• Flowers work differently from the other tiles. Under Classic Taiwanese, a single flower scores only if it matches your seat (1 tai each), and a hand with no flowers at all scores 1 tai. A complete set of four flowers scores 2 tai, all eight score 8 tai, and seven flowers also score as a pattern of their own.
• Tai are not points. The Dubai house rules count in points and add a base to every win, so a tai total and a points total can't be compared.

This page covers only how many tai a hand is worth. How a table turns tai into a payment is agreed at each table.

The complete Classic Taiwanese table

Worked examples

Each example shows the concealed tiles (including the winning tile), any melds the player exposed, and the flowers. The breakdown under each hand is calculated by the same scoring engine the game uses.

A simple hand of sequences

Four sequences and a pair in the hand, one sequence melded from a discard, and the win comes on a discard.

An all-pong hand

Five pongs and a pair. Two pongs are melded and three stay concealed, and the player draws the last tile of the pair from the wall.

A half-flush (one suit plus honours)

Only circles, plus a pong of winds and a pong of dragons. In Taiwanese this is called a Semi Pure Hand.

Flowers and winds

The player sits East in the East round, holds both East flowers, and has a pong of East Wind.

Frequently asked questions

What is a tai in mahjong?

A tai (台) is the unit Taiwanese mahjong uses to value a winning hand. Each scoring pattern in the hand adds tai, and the total decides how much the winner is paid.

Are tai the same as points?

No. Classic Taiwanese counts tai. The Dubai house rules count points and add a base to every win. The two numbers measure different things, so they can't be compared.

Do flowers score in Taiwanese mahjong?

Under Classic Taiwanese, a single flower scores 1 tai if it matches your seat, and nothing otherwise. A complete set of four flowers scores 2 tai, and all eight score 8 tai; seven flowers also score as a pattern of their own. A hand with no flowers at all scores 1 tai.

Which hands are worth the most tai?

The rare ones. Heavenly Hand, where the dealer is dealt a complete winning hand, is worth 24 tai. Big Four Winds is worth 16 tai, and a Pure Suit Hand (one suit only) is worth 8 tai.

How can I check how many tai my hand is worth?

Press "Score this hand" under any example on this page. It opens that hand in the free calculator, scored under Classic Taiwanese, and you can swap tiles to match your own hand and see the new total.